Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

“Bundle Sunday” in
Charlestown will be
October 27th, 2024!

Bundle Sunday is a call to all
Charlestown residents to donate clothing and shoes to support the efforts of
the Society of St. Vincent de Paul locally.
All clean, usable clothing and shoes will
be gratefully accepted, so please, use this
opportunity to streamline your closet
and that of your family members.
Collection will occur from Oct. 19- 26, 2024.
During this week, donations can be left
at the back of St. Mary and St. Francis de
Sales Churches before and after Masses,
at St. Mary Parish Center at 46 Winthrop St., and at the Harvest on Vine
Office at 49 Vine St.
Thank YOU for your generosity in
responding to this call for help!

 

Some special needs of parishioners

We have a special need for two lift chairs – to help elderly parishioners get into a standing position!

Bundle Drive – October 14 through 21

The truck loading crew included Freddy, SVdP truck driver, George, Maribeth & Walter, Donna & Peter from SVdP, as well as, some local passers-by who gladly joined the effort.
We’re all in this together!
Thank YOU for your generosity in responding to this call for help!

 

St. Vincent de Paul – Feast Day – September 27

Saint Vincent de Paul built a network of missions and confraternities for those in need beginning in the 1600s. This foundation for a global charity system now operates in 142 countries. In the United States, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul comes to the aid of 12 million people annually. Vincentians come from all walks of life and work for a noble purpose. In their work to address the needs of the poor, both spiritually and materially, they see the face of Christ.

*** Saint Mary—Saint Catherine of Siena Parish is a part of the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s mission. Due to your support, so far this year the St Vincent de Paul Conference of our parish has helped 39 families with their various needs. (rental assistance, beds, tables, lamps, and much more). Thank you for your help and please continue to remember the poor boxes at the back of the Church, or you can mail a donation to the Parish Center at 46 Winthrop St. 100% of all donations go to help those in need!

And don’t forget the bundle drive coming up October 14th through the 21st! All is much appreciated by those we serve.

June 4th. – be Mindful of the Poor

The work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society continues in our parish.
The Society helps a number of individuals and families in Charlestown.
Please remember the good work with a gift to the Poor boxes at the back of the church. Thank you so much!

Saint Vincent de Paul

Be mindful of the poor among us by assisting the Saint Vincent de Paul Society by way of their collection boxes at the doors of the Church. The weekly offerings given to the Parish Conference of the Society are their main source of income in assisting the needy of the Parish. We thank you for your continued support
Thank you!

May 7 – 5th Sunday of Easter

In the Gospel today, Jesus says “…whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. Through your almsgiving you are performing a good work; far greater than you think. The coins placed in the St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box bring Christ love and compassion to the poor.

Saint Vincent de Paul

Be mindful of the poor among us by assisting the Saint Vincent de Paul Society by way of their collection boxes at the doors of the Church. The weekly offerings given to the Parish Conference of the Society are their main source of income in assisting the needy of the Parish. We thank you for your continued support
Thank you!

April 30 4th Sunday in Easter

Today, we celebrate “Good Shepherd Sunday” where we reflect on Jesus’ care and love of us and hear his words, “I came so that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” By your gift to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul you will reveal the love of the “Good Shepherd” to your suffering brothers and sisters. Please remember the poor boxes in at the doors at the back of the Church, both at St. Francis de Sales and St. Mary Church.
Thank you!

April 23 3rd Sunday in Easter

In this Sunday’s Gospel, as we hear the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, We also come to know that our daily reaching out to our neighbor is our daily walk with the risen Christ; We recognize him in others.
This month, through your gifts, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul brought the love and care of Jesus to the poor by assisting three families, providing beds, a bureau and rental assistance totaling $1,317.15.
Thank You!

 

April 9: Easter Sunday

Today as we celebrate the feast of Easter, we find the
challenge of also seeing and believing the resurrection that comes through our own lives
of self-sacrifice. It is then that we are truly Easter people!
As you place your gift in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box, know that you are a sign of God’s love to those who are suffering, and you give them Easter hope and joy.

April 2: Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of the holiest of Christian weeks. Let us pray for the grace to take up our own cross and to follow Jesus through death to new life.
Please support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul so that together we can help the poor as
they carry their cross of suffering and pain.

St. Vincent de Paul Society: Vital Help for the Suffering and Those in Need

Saint Vincent de Paul is a global charity network that now operates in 142 countries. In the United States, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul comes to the aid of 12 million people annually. Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, known as Vincentians come from all walks of life to help the poor meet their needs both spiritually and materially.

Our Parish Conference began in 1876 under the auspices of Monsignor McMahon and supplied shoes for children and offered food to the unemployed.

Currently, the St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena Conference, a team of about 10 parishioners, handle a variety of issues every week. Some people need help with the rent, while others are in need of a kitchen table or beds for their kids. A team will make home visits to determine their living situation and make appropriate recommendations corresponding to their needs. Often we connect those in need to our Parish emergency food pantry, Harvest on Vine. Clients are also informed about Masses and programs at St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena Parish.

If you would like to make a donation to help this cause, there are boxes at the rear of the Church. Please remember, especially during this Lenten season, to help those less fortunate. “The poor have much to teach you. You have much to learn from them.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul

Remember the poor boxes at the back of the Church. Thank you.

St. Vincent de Paul Society: Provides vital help for the needy and suffering

Today, we hear Jesus say to us, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The challenge is to let go so God can lead us.
This month, August 2020, through your gifts, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul enabled the poor to experience Jesus’ presence by
Assisting 2 families, with rental assistance and 2 families with beds.
Thank you

Our Parish Conference began in 1876 under the auspices of Monsignor McMahon and supplied shoes for children and offered food to the unemployed. Currently, the St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena conference, a team of about 15 parishioners, handles a variety of issues every week. Some people need help with rent to avoid eviction, while others are in need of a kitchen table with chairs, beds for the kids or a sofa to sit on. Little things to some but big to others are requested like a simple lamp or some sheets. Others are in need of a voice to advocate for them or may just need a sounding board – a friend. A team will visit their homes to determine their living situation and make arrangements on how best they can be helped.

Over the past twelve months our parish has spent $25,199 in helping 62 families that include 124 people.

September 2024

Saint Vincent de Paul The feast day of Saint Vincent de Paul is September 27, the date of his passing in 1660. He was the founder of the Vincentians and the Sisters of Charity, and is the patron saint of all charitable organizations. Born in 1581 to a peasant family in southwestern France, Vincent studied for the priesthood at a local Franciscan college and then at Toulouse University. He was ordained a priest at the age of nineteen. In 1612 he became a parish priest in a village just north of Paris and the following year became a tutor in the household of the wealthy and politically powerful Gondi family. He remained with the family for the next 12 years and spent some time as a parish priest where he attended to the needs of the sick and the poor in his parish. In 1617 he formed a group of women who ministered to the needs of these families. He established similar groups in other villages. Around the year 1618 Vincent came to know Saint Francis de Sales, whose writings, especially the Introduction to the Devout Life, had a strong influence on him. That same year Vincent established a society of priests, sometimes referred to as “Vincentians,” who with the financial support of Madame Gondi, would go from village to village on the Gondi estates to preach to the peasants and conduct missions. The mission work became so successful that with the approval of the archbishop of Paris and continued financial support of the Gondis, the group established a base in Paris and their community continued to grow along with their ministry. Meanwhile the women’s groups started to multiply. In 1633 Vincent began offering formal religious formation for this new group, called the Daughters of Charity. A new order of women religious was born that ministered in hospitals, orphanages, prisons and many other places. The order was formally approved by the Church in 1668. Blessed Antoine Frederic Ozanam would found the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1885 Pope Leo XIII named St. Vincent de Paul universal patron of all works of charity . In our collaborative, we have an active St. Vincent de Paul conference and continue St. Vincent de Paul’s mission of charity, helping those in need in our community. We thank all those who help make it possible.